Winter
by tess.untitled
Summary: Everything happens for a reason. Rated T for later chapters.
1. My Past

I don't own Lie To Me.

… … … …

Everything happens for a reason.

A few years back I wrote a note.

On it, I told myself how beautiful I was; how it all mattered; how it all made sense in a nonsensical sort of way; how I knew there would be someone waiting for me somewhere; how I had been born for a reason, a significant reason, a better reason than the _you-were-born-to-be-my-personal-curse_ that my father slapped across my face every time he drank slightly more than usual, which was already way too much for someone like him, someone who had heart issues.

A few years back I wrote a note.

And I felt stupid for it, but my counselor insisted. I remember hearing him say that I was my own rock and that I had to hold onto myself with as much strength as I had so that I could survive without suffering any collateral damage. I remember asking myself why I had chosen to talk to someone who knew nothing about my life besides what I told him. I had thought it would be easier for me to open up with someone I didn't know but I quickly found out that that idea was just another cliché, another cliché without the nice romantic cloak that the novels that even back then were already my daily company always seemed to have.

A few years back I wrote a note.

I was interrupted a thousand times before I actually finished it, but once I did, I re-read it to myself. I was shocked to find my mantras written there, the mantras I sang loudly in my head as he spoke to me, as he told me what I was and what I would be in the future.

_Nothing_.

Less than _nothing_.

A few years back…

10 years ago, to be more precise…

Just before I left home for college…

I wrote a note.

The day before I left for college, my father died of a heart attack.

On that very same day, exactly 10 years ago, I sealed my note with a kiss and a tear and then I buried it with him, I buried my past with him.

I started over.

With my baggage on my back and my luggage on my hands, I took a step forward.

And now?

Now I am at a Winter Resort with my colleagues from the Pentagon. Nice, isn't it? They always take us away for one week during the Christmas' season to make sure we are well rested and ready to start freshly in January.

So now I am sitting here, reading a book at the dinner table while having a scotch in his honor. I whisper his name before taking a long last sip, closing my eyes and letting the liquid burn its way down my throat.

And that's when I hear someone ask in nothing more than a whisper: "Daddy, is that Miss talking to herself?"

And that's when I open my eyes and see them.

And that's when I smile.

That's when it all beings.

Yes, everything happens for a reason.

… … … …

I know this is rather short and weird but I can assure you that it will make sense soon. It makes sense to me at the moment but hey, I was the one who wrote this. Hopefully I will be able to update this ASAP and explain a bit of what's going on.

Hope you enjoyed this bit of weirdness.

R&R, if you feel like it.

See you soon,

Tess.


	2. Her Eyes

Thank you so much for the reviews. :) You guys are amazing.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Lie To Me.

… … … …

Everything happens for a reason.

If I _hate_ these things? If I _hate _these little _reunions_?

Hate doesn't even begin to cover it.

I never really liked to be surrounded by _people_. I never really liked _people_, for that matter. I think I could actually try to blame this on the fact that I can tell when people are lying but apparently the feeling is mutual so I guess this is just me being me.

There is one positive thing about this whole we-should-all-go-away-to-a-resort-together-to-bond week, though. Zoe, my wife, adores having what she calls _quality time_ with the family, so attending these events satisfies her needs. I know, I am such a _darling_, ain't I?

The truth is, not only does it satisfy her needs, it also keeps her from asking me to take days off from work. I think it is a win/win situation, wouldn't you say?

And then there's also Emily.

Ems is seven years old and she adores talking to people and asking them questions till their eyes pop out and sweat runs down their foreheads like cascades. Usually I rescue whoever she is interrogating on time, but sometimes I just stand at the back watching because she causes the most extraordinary face expressions on people.

Even though she is still a _baby_, I can assure you she knows more about this world and about the human behavior than most of the people that walk around this resort calling themselves professionals. While I had to fight to learn how to read with my eyes, she reads with her heart. It seems like she inhales the feelings of those who surround her like they are just another element of air.

And she does that so well that about 5 minutes ago she smelled her mother's anger and dragged me out of the room just in time to avoid yet another argument between us.

She grabbed my hand and said that we needed to find our table before the dinner time came around or it would all be a mess and it would take us ages to find ourselves among the crowd.

I was checking out the surroundings when I felt her squeeze my hand.

I looked down at her and heard her ask: "Daddy, is that Miss talking to herself?"

My eyes followed the direction towards which her face pointed and I couldn't help but smile as the woman who apparently had been taking to herself was now looking at us with a huge smile on her face.

And what a fascinating smile she had!

I actually had the honor to see its birth. It was not until her eyes found the shape of Ems that her lips started to curl up into a smile that reached her eyes like a storm that breaks the sky without a warning.

Hers were blue… like the ocean. And without thinking twice, I dived in.

I would have drowned if Emily hadn't spoken.

"Oh Dad, this is actually our table."

And I watched her walk towards the free seat by the curious stranger who seemed to be very amused with the whole situation.

A breath caught up on my throat as I witnessed Emily throwing her arms around the woman's neck and hugging her like they had known each other for ages.

I was ready to take a step forward and apologize for Emily's action when I noticed the woman's arms wrapped around Emily's small frame.

There was no anger playing on the woman's face. No, there was only surprise… and happiness… and…

Could it possibly be _love_?

"Hi pretty lady." Said Ems, "I am Emily." My daughter added with a smile before turning towards me, already sitting on the woman's lap. "And that's my Dad… _Doctor_ Lightman."

If I hadn't known anything about face expressions, I would have certainly blushed.

"Cal Lightman." I finally took a step forward, putting my hand out for her to shake. "Sorry about Ems… she tends to jump on people."

Her eyes… they were dancing in joy.

And I wished I could follow their rhythm. _Her_ rhythm.

Oh yes, everything happens for a _bloody_ reason.

… … … …

Another dosage of weirdness because things always come in pairs. LOL.

I promise next chapter will be more normal, alright? I mean, I am not really sure I can do normal but I can try less weird. How does that sound? :)

Anyway, do take the time to R&R if you feel like it.

See you soon,

Tess.


	3. Toxic Combination

I wanna thank everyone who read this story, especially those who left a review behind. They make me smile. :) THANK YOU.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Lie To Me.

… … …

There are things you just can't control.

You can't control whether it is going to rain or not, on your wedding day. You can't control whether there is going to be an empty space on the parking lot for you or not, when you are already late for work. You can't control whether there is going to be a blackout or not, in the middle of an important videoconference. You can't control whether there is going to be a knock on the door or not, when you are taking a bath.

And those little things you can't control, they eat you inside.

Because you bought a Vera Wang wedding dress that is now soaking wet. Because you were already late for work and got a speed ticket for driving too fast towards the closest parking lot that is still pretty far away from the building where your office is. Because you were about to settle on a millionaire deal and it all went black before you heard the final answer. Because you were drinking a glass of wine and enjoying your bubble bath when someone knocked at the door and you had to rush out.

And those little things you can't control, they drive you mad.

But every once in a while, something you couldn't ever predict happens. And that something, as incredible as it might sound, happens to be great.

… … … …

Gillian Anderson, who had an arm wrapped around the child's waist so that she wouldn't fall off her lap, reached out with her free hand and shook the one that had been presented to her.

She was about to introduce herself when someone else started talking from behind her. She turned around slightly, both her hands now resting on Emily's waist and they both looked up at the same time, the same face expression of confusion taking over their faces.

If anyone had taken the time to record that moment, they would probably realize that the actions between the woman and the child had been in perfect synchrony. It's not a rare event, but it usually means one of two things: either the two people involved spend too much time together or they share a very strong bond.

Knowing that those two had met a few minutes ago, what could it be? Certainly not many people would care but… could that be the reason behind Cal Lightman's smile? Or was he just happy to see his friend Liam?

"_Bloody_ _hell_!" Said Liam with his thick English accent. "If it isn't Cal Lightman himself!" He added, resting a hand over Gillian's shoulder as he kept his eyes focused on Cal. "I can't believe I am finally having the pleasure of meeting your family."

Gillian felt a sudden need to start laughing.

_What an interesting misunderstanding_, she thought to herself.

At least that was until her eyes found Cal's face, as that simple look caused her to go from amused to confused and then to concerned. She had just gotten into the middle of something that was everything but good. At least, that was what Cal's face was telling her. Instinctively, her grip on Emily became stronger, in a protective way.

"Liam." Said Cal politely. "I see everything was forgiven and forgotten." His voice tone was cold and cynical, causing Gillian to shiver under Liam's touch.

"Not really, _mate_. Taking baby steps towards it, though." Liam answered, finally looking down and acknowledging the woman and the child that was sitting on her lap. "Talking about baby steps…" He started, a smile that was everything but truthful playing on his face. "Your baby girl grew up fast… and your wife…" He said, checking Gillian out. "Looks absolutely stunning."

That was it.

Cal looked like he was about to explode and Gillian wasn't really enjoying the fact that the stranger's hand was going down.

"Sweetie, you should go get your mother now. It's almost time to eat." Gillian whispered on Emily's ear before kissing her forehead and letting the child go with a smile.

She then stood up and turned around so that she was now standing by Cal's side and facing the man that seemed to have the power to upset him.

"Thank you for the compliment." She said gracefully, hiding the annoyance that seemed to want to come out. "But I am afraid you've got the wrong person." She added. "I am Gillian Anderson. And we…" She gestured between her and Cal. "We have actually just met." She then turned to Cal and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, by the way."

"Oh… I am so sorry." His pupils going wide with interest. "But seriously, what kind of husband leaves a wife like you alone?"

"The kind that trusts his wife." She replied, her face expression growing confident as she noticed his body tensing up.

"They still make those, huh?" He commented, his choice of words and behavior showing that he was no longer at ease. "Well…" He ran a hand through his hair embarrassedly. "I should go. I've a meeting before dinner." He said, putting both hands on his jeans front pockets. "Was great to see you." He nodded in Cal's direction. "And it was an absolute pleasure to meet you." He allowed his eyes to travel down Gillian's body before nodding in approval and leaving.

"Men." She murmured as she rolled her eyes before sitting down. "Oh, no offense." Her face went reddish for a moment as she looked up at Cal. "I didn't mean to…" The grin that took over his face told her that he knew exactly what she had meant. "God, stop playing me, will you? I've read your books, you know? Not fair reading a colleague."

Cal had a hard time getting over the fact that she was the most adorable woman he had ever seen. And besides having that adorable side, she could still stand tall in front of men like Liam. He could see that she was a fighter and that she was not afraid of going after what she wanted.

What was also giving him a very hard time – quite literally – was the fact that she was absolutely gorgeous.

_Bloody hell, this woman is one hell of a toxic combination_, he thought to himself before raising an eyebrow as he noticed she had stopped speaking. He made a mental note to focus on her words _only_, next time.

How did he know there would be a second encounter? First, because they were going to share the table for the whole week. Second, because there simply had to. If destiny – or whatever people believe in these days – didn't bring them together, he wouldn't mind trying his luck at finding her. He didn't really have anything better to do, anyway.

Even though he was speechless for a moment, his brain found a way of reminding him of the words that had come out of those pink lips that looked so perfect… so touchable… so kissable…

**Hey Cal**, _focus, _will you? She is still waiting for _you _to react, remember? And besides, you are _married_.

He cleared his throat loudly and put his elbow on the table before resting his head on his hand. "Oh, so you really work at the Pentagon. For a moment I thought you were here because of your husband."

"I don't have a husband." She said, showing him her hands. "See? No rings at all."

"Oi, doesn't that mean you lied to me?" Cal asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"I didn't lie. He asked me a question and I gave him my opinion. I never said I was married… he thought I was though… and I am actually glad he did. There was something about him…" She stopped herself from going any further. "I just didn't like him." She finished with a shrug, thanking herself for being able to stop and not diving into a deep Freudian analysis of Liam.

No, she wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed judging other people, but she did like to understand them. Since she had started practicing, she had actually been very lucky. She had been accepted at the Pentagon right after finishing her Masters and had started working with very complicated cases. She still remembered the reactions she used to get from the people that had already been there for years and found themselves at her office so that she could evaluate their profile. Many found it complicated to open up at first but Gillian's personality quickly won them over.

It was very complex at times though. Most of the people who worked there seemed to live surrounded by a dark atmosphere of secrecy and commitment.

But hey, who doesn't enjoy a good challenge?

"Wouldn't have taken you for a player." Said Cal, his eyes studying her face closely. He would have expected her to break the eye contact but she didn't retract.

"Who's playing what?" Zoe asked, breaking the mortal yet weirdly comfortable silence that had grown between the two of them as they stared at each other.

He noticed that she wasn't planning on breaking the eye connection any time soon. Apparently, she had taken it as yet another challenge.

_A gorgeous player who enjoys a good challenge, _he thought to himself_, Dear God, save me._

He winked at her before looking up at the woman who had just approached their table, seeing a smile taking over Gillian's face through the corner of his eye. She had won.

Emily sat by Gillian's side, grabbing her hand and starting to play with her fingers.

"Zoe, meet Gillian. Gillian, meet my wife, Zoe."

"How do you do?" Said Gillian, giving Zoe a cordial nod.

That was it.

He was officially fascinated by that woman.

… … …

Sorry it took me so long to update.

I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

It is slightly longer, isn't it? ;)

Anyway, R&R if you feel like it, alright?

Thanks again!

See you soon,

Tess.


	4. I Am The Other Woman

You guys are so amazing!

Seriously, thank you so much for leaving such awesome reviews behind. They really made my day and actually made me write a new chapter as well.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Lie To Me.

… … …

One of the first things we teach our children is that it's not okay to lie.

One of the first things we tell our children is that, no matter what, everything is going to be just fine.

Most people wouldn't call that a lie but there's a slight difference between the truth and what you wish the truth to be. And when the person you are sharing your house with happens to be a lie detector, all those slight differences are what matters the most.

When you tell a big fat lie, you can give the _I-wasn't-thinking-clearly_ excuse, but when there's just a slight difference, it usually means you gave it a lot of thought, it means you deliberated about the percentage of truth that you wanted or were ready to give.

Usually those slight differences are hard to find but don't let that thought work as an encouragement because once they are found, they usually explode like an atomic bomb, spreading a wave of suspicion and confusion on the surroundings of whoever programmed it in the first place.

When that happens, life as you know it is over. Trust me, I know what I am talking about.

Not many people know the story of how Cal and I met. I am almost sure we are the only ones who do and that's just because we were both there.

It was not love at the first sight.

Actually, it was more like sexual attraction at the first touch after a great amount of alcohol.

We were both celebrating the New Year at my boyfriend's place. There were way too many people and we were all so drunk that we no longer recognized each other. I remember being by the bathroom door when I first saw him. I do believe I was waiting for my turn to use it but the next thing I recall is being pressed hard against a wall and feeling his breath on my face.

I asked no questions. He offered no answers.

I have no idea of how we had the decency of looking for a room but we did and we happened to find my boyfriend's bedroom. I wasn't quite aware of it and the fact that my picture was on one of the bedsides tables didn't seem to ring any bells to my slow, _aroused_ brain. When the bells started ringing, or at least when I started hearing them, it was already way too late as I was naked by the side of whom I later found out to be Cal Lightman.

Memories of the night we had shared started crossing my mind. I could still feel his hands all over my body… it was like they had set my skin on fire and God, I was burning badly. It seemed like he had decided to mark me for life that night. Well, he certainly had. Emily was born 9 months later.

I couldn't quite believe I was pregnant.

When I first went to the doctors, about three weeks after the _incident_, I complained about stomach pain. Actually, I complained about all my body hurting and being extra sensitive to the touch. I remember asking my doctor if it could be somehow related to that crazy night. She said that everything was possible but that she would like to be sure it was nothing serious by making a few exams. I only did two. A full blood test and an ultrasound.

I was pregnant of a man I barely knew. I was carrying the child of a man with whom I had slept on my own boyfriend's bed. I was going to have a baby and I was about to start my first real job as a lawyer.

This was it, this was the moment when I started telling different versions of the truth, telling myself I was only editing it slightly so that _no one would get hurt_.

At the same pace my belly started expanding, the number of questions I got from the people who surrounded me started growing as well.

I ended up losing my boyfriend, my job and Cal Lightman's respect.

Yes, we did get married but we weren't in love. We liked to think we were but deep down inside we knew that this was just another one of those situations when it was easier to edit the truth so that _no one would get hurt_. No one got hurt but we were both _hurting_ deeply.

Sure, Emily's birth brought us closer together but as she started growing, we started growing apart.

Still, for _her_ sake, we kept playing our roles.

What we weren't expecting though was Emily to be such a natural emotions reader. I remember the look of panic on Cal's face when she started asking questions. That was the day when she learned the meaning of the word theatre at pre-school. That was the day when she realized that her life was a play and her role was to keep the theatre from falling apart as there was another word that was spelled as dih**-**vawrs and that wasn't _pretty_.

Someone got _hurt_? No.

We are still _hurting_.

This is probably all _my_ fault but I am already hurting enough and I am not sure I can handle any more pain. I need my life to stabilize for a while and for that, I can't have any more drama.

So forgive me for not being too happy to see my _husband_ all over another woman. Forgive me for not being too keen about the fact that _my _daughter seems to love her already. Forgive me for being jealous of the perfect family portrait I see as I approach the table where I am supposed to _belong_.

Forgive me… forgive me for hating the beautiful woman who owns the kindest eyes I have ever seen.

Forgive me… but you are too much for me to handle right now and I must hate you for you are the reflection of his face on the mirror of life.

You belong.

I _must_ belong.

… … …

I must confess I am not a big fan of Zoe but I do believe she plays an essential role on this story. I thought I should give some background on her before diving any further. And besides, I gave both Cal and Gillian an opportunity to talk about themselves and their past… Why not Zoe, right?

Anyway, I hope you are still enjoying this story.

R&R, if you feel like it. :)

See you soon,

Tess.


	5. Dessert First?

Thank you so MUCH for the lovely reviews.

I am also sorry taking so long to update this story. *sighs*

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lie To Me (yet, anyway)

... … …

"You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes you might find

You get what you need"

~~ Rolling Stones ~~

... ... ...

Cal thought Zoe was what he needed. That commitment was what he needed.

And so he had proposed to her.

Also because he remembered hearing from his mother say how she would love to have grandchildren. Just because she wasn't _there _to see Ems, it didn't mean she wouldn't be happy.

He knew she would. He knew she would be proud of him. He just wished he could be proud of himself. He just wished he had done this for the right reason. For _love_.

Was it too late to go after what he really needed?

… … …

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Zoe's voice sounded as cold as the snow that had started falling outside and her smile looked as false as the huge Christmas tree that had been set up at the dining room.

Cal felt like rolling his eyes at her but he knew that that would only make things worse so he decided to ignore what he had just seen.

If it had been any other day, he would have probably gone for it and complained loudly about what she had just done, but today he was actually having a pretty good evening so he thought he should celebrate that, instead of throwing more ashes into the fire.

He took a deep breath as he watched Zoe sitting by his side and then turned around, ready to mouth a silent apology to Gillian.

Gillian, however, seemed to be pretty oblivious about what had just happened as her eyes were focused on Emily as the little one told her about the TV Shows she liked to watch during the winter break.

Cal studied her face closely. Had she missed the clues on Zoe's voice and face or was she pretending she had? He didn't know her well enough to tell but he would bet all his money on the second option.

Gillian wasn't stupid. She had noticed the _you-are-a-threat-so-I-will-treat-you-like-one_ look as soon as the other woman had reached the table. She had noticed how Zoe had rested a hand over Cal's shoulder possessively. She had noticed the look on Cal's face once the hand made contact with his body.

She didn't have to be an expert to understand that things between them weren't going that well but she decided to stay quiet and ignore it because it was none of her business. She had just met the man, for God's sake. And besides, his daughter was the cutest thing ever and was certainly much more interesting than whatever was happening between the couple.

The room started filling in with people and so the chef, Hugh, came to welcome and have a word with a few people, making sure they were all enjoying themselves and were ready to have the best meal of their lives.

He had been serving them for quite a few years now and so he had quite a few great friends among the loud crowd of people who seemed to be always discussing work, even though that went completely against the Pentagon's goal.

"Gill?" He suddenly said as his eyes found what seemed to be a very familiar shape.

Gillian turned around, surprised to have heard someone calling her by her nickname. She almost jumped of her chair when she realized that it was Hugh who had just pronounced it with his incredible Irish accent.

"Oh God, I knew it had to be you." Hugh said as he approached the table, hugging Gillian close as soon as she stood up. "How are you, gorgeous?"

If Cal's attention had been caught by the fact that someone had just called her by a nickname and had caused joy to reach her eyes almost instantly, he had to fight hard not to raise his eyebrow questioningly as he heard him calling her gorgeous.

He couldn't possibly be jealous, could he? Of course _not_.

_Right_?

He had just met her like 5 minutes ago! What was happening to him?

"I am really happy to see you!" Gillian answered as she pulled away, looking straight into his green eyes before raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "And how are you, mister? Didn't hear anything from you since that last text message you sent saying that you were going to run away for a few weeks… what happened with Kate?"

"Oh, Gill, don't go all psychologist on me now, okay?" He joked. "I promise I will tell you but… later. Deal?" He asked, giving her his best smile before laughing as she shook her head in defeat as well as in acceptance.

"I didn't come here to talk about sad things… It's almost Christmas, Gill!" He quickly added, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and turning them around so that they were both facing the table. "How's everyone? Enjoying yourselves?"

"Yes, thank you." Zoe said, her tone sounding slightly happier. The fact that there seemed to be a man in Gillian's life made her feel slightly better about herself and her own marriage.

"Well, I am glad to hear that!" He said with a smile before leaning over and kissing Gillian's cheek. "Well, beautiful, I must go now and say hi to the gang… will see you later?"

"Of course. You know exactly where to find me, don't you?" She replied with a wink before sitting down as he winked back at her and turned around to leave.

"Oh God… I almost forgot!"

Gillian turned around to face him once again but this time she didn't stand up.

"Do you want your dessert first or will you be waiting till the end of the dinner like _normal_ people do?" He asked, a grin playing on his face as he knew exactly what her answer would be.

"Just bring the dessert first, will you? Don't make me go get it at the kitchen… you know what happens if I walk into your lovely kitchen, don't you?"

"Oh please, don't! Stay exactly where you are! It was an innocent question." He faked a scared voice tone, causing her to giggle.

"Oh, can I have my dessert first too?" Emily asked.

Gillian looked at the girl and started biting on her lower lip as silence was the only thing answering Emily's question.

"Well, young lady… What do your parents think about this?" Hugh said, raising an eyebrow as he focused his attention on Cal and Zoe.

Cal seemed to be way too busy studying the interaction between Gillian and Hugh to answer and Zoe seemed to be quite speechless.

"Please, Mom…" Emily then said.

… … …

I know this looks like a weird place to stop but this is really one of those decisions that can change the whole thing between these four characters. LOL.

I hope you liked this chapter.

R&R if you feel like it.

See you VERY soon,

Tess.


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